Small turnout at King Day parade

A couple thousand people turned out this morning to watch a parade made up largely of law enforcement vehicles in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Mostly devoid of anything resembling floats, the 26th annual parade included marching groups of children, dignitaries in vehicles and a drumming corps of Buddhists.

Many of those watching wore T-shirts proclaiming their allegiance to Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential candidate who finished second behind Sen. Hillary Clinton in Saturday's Nevada caucus.

Though official parade rules prohibited the throwing of anything from parade vehicles, spongy toy policemen were thrown from one vehicle and beads from another. No candy, though, much to the chagrin of kids along 4th Street.

Showing the kids how cool it is to be a cop, the driver of a Nevada Highway Patrol Camaro revved his engine and squealed his tires, the smoke from the burnt rubber wafting into the downtown air.